Committees, Rules and Ethics Preview

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The Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics will meet before Wednesday’s full City Council meeting to appoint members to the City Council’s Financial Office Oversight Committee, created in 2013 as part of a larger plan to create an independent budget office, The Chicago Office of Financial Analysis (COFA). The committee was originally created to do two things: find a Financial Analyst to oversee the new office, and serve as a liaison between the city’s Budget Office and aldermen. The committee announced its choice, Ben Winick, just before last month’s City Council meeting. In his interview with Aldertrack, Winick said he wouldn’t start work until July, giving him just three months to staff up before the expected September release date of the Mayor’s budget.

The ordinance before the Rules Committee reappoints Ald. Pat Dowell (3) and Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) to the committee. Ald. Rick Munoz (22) would replace former Ald. Ray Suarez (31) to become the newest alderman to join the seven member group, which according to enacting legislation must include: Chairman of the Budget Committee Ald. Carrie Austin (34), Chairman of the Finance Committee Ald. Ed Burke (14), and representatives from two of the following three categories: a current or former representative from a civic or public interest group union, or business.

Carole Brown, the City’s new Chief Financial Officer, was one of those representatives when she was in her former role as Chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority. She’ll have to forfeit her seat. Joseph Pijanowski, with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 126A, will likely keep his seat, according to Ald. Pawar, who also says the group will likely meet on a quarterly basis.